Mahonri's 3rd Annual, BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Spangled]

Quote:
I actually learned a whole lot about incubating with an LG the first few times. Gave me the confidence to build one!! I much prefer a set it and for get it style but I need to challenge my OCD ways!! I had the LG stabilized for days, loaded the eggs, and by 28 hours it was not up to temp. Maybe I needed to give it more time. I think I turned it too much. It has a cold spot too, so I will keep moving the eggs around. I figure it keeps me on my toes and helps me to understand how a very good incubator is made.

Yeah, I don't think I would know how to deal with a hot spot. Did you already make your incubator? I also learned a whole lot about incubating in a styrobater the first few times. Actually, I can't say that I've stopped learning.

For a while, I just thought that incubating was very difficult. We tried all sorts of solutions each spring. The first thing we did was put in a fan. Then egg cartons for the last 3 days. I bought more and more thermometers. I kept a log of the temps. One year, I remember setting the alarm and getting up almost every hour or two and checking to make sure it hadn't gone up or down too much. I only left the house once for about 6 hours that whole hatch. It swung wildly from 97 to 104. It was a miserable three weeks. I just thought I was bad at incubating. And I didn't pay attention to the fact that one incubator did okay and the other didn't until two years ago when we bought a third styrobator in the middle of a hatch because our very first incubator just kept spiking and I finally realized that it wasn't me that was the one causing all of the problems. However, silly me, didn't mark the defective incubator and so I lost track of which one it was. Smart, huh? I used it again last year once, but this spring I finally figured it which was which. Yes, I would get it stabilized, then I would see significant temp swings without me touching it for days. It was in a room with no drafts and steady temperature. There is little doubt in my mind that it was defective all these years. So I lost one last batch of eggs to it this spring. If it hadn't been my first incubator or if I were smarter, I think I could have figured it out sooner.

So, it's retired. But I've got another styrobator hatching out a few chicks right now ... just zipping and cheeping to beat the band!

 

[countrygirl911]

You have a still air, so, yes, the temp should be around 101.5 - 102.
Remember though, the temperature will cycle (like your furnace does). Find the highest and the lowest temperature, and average that. The 100 temp that you say you have...... is that an average?

no not an adverage all thermomiters on top of the top layer of eggs all say 100 sometime it jumps to 102 but i lower it becasue i was always told 100 degrees on top of eggs i have a hova bator and the book that came with it says 100 so that is what i am going by if i up it some can i still save my eggs i candled 30 in one incubator and only saw veins in 15 was not going to touch the others in their just did it to see if i was getting some to develop i have a total of 128 eggs i have to candle on sat i just hope my eggs are not riuned i have 56 chicks spoken for and the rest is my daughters so of the 128 i need at least 76 to hatch would love it if more would hatch

 

[kvmommy]

Wow that took me a while to catch up! Went to bed at 830 pm, DS only woke up about 6 times last night and I slept til 9 am! I think I finally got the much needed sleep I've missed these past few nights!!! Now...if this rancid headache will just leave. And all the pregnancy symptoms I have, wish they'd go away. Took two pregnancy tests and both negative! And I'd be at least 2 mo. along since hubby has been deployed for 2 months so far. Blech.

I candled a couple eggs (just by shining the light on the egg but not actually lifting the egg) Looks like crazy pet ladys eggs (the light ones) didn't make it. But they all had the worst air cells Ive ever seen. Bhep's eggs definitely showed some veining, a few looked really wispy. Those never survive (in my experience).

And as for the deer story...deer attacks account for the most wildlife attacks on people. So when I was in the army at DLI in monterey, CA, while I was on CQ we had a urinalysis which no one knows when its coming. So I had to run across the base in the rain to wake the guys in their barracks at 4 am. I ran around a corner and ran smack dab into a young buck. We both were sooo startled and I froze. Then he lowered his head and charged, I ran sooooo **** fast and since I know how much faster deer are, I feel lucky that he was only half attempting to attack me. Everyone thought it was funny....but I didn't.

 

[Cattitude]

*falls out of chair laughing*

' forgot to post this on set day....

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote: It is really too early to be candling (if you set on St. Patrick's Day). Find out what the HIGHEST temperature you get is, and what the LOWEST temperature you get is. Add them together and divide by 2. This will be your average. That average should be between 101 and 102. Anyway, that would be best.

 

[countrygirl911]

It is really too early to be candling (if you set on St. Patrick's Day). Find out what the HIGHEST temperature you get is, and what the LOWEST temperature you get is. Add them together and divide by 2. This will be your average. That average should be between 101 and 102. Anyway, that would be best.

ok ty but how i get average when they all say 100 and once in a while it spikes to 102 would that be and adverage of 101 i did set on st patricks day i just saw a few candeling and thought i would check since my eggs seem to be cold to touch expecially the ones on bottom

 

[AK Michelle]

I'm going to try and do a little catching up today but I'm over 200 posts behind

I think you people talk more than my sister does. Sheesh, take a break why don'tcha

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Maine... where 76 degrees nets you a SEVERE WEATHER ALERT

 

[countrygirl911]

Ok now got something worse than temp going on we are under thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings and i am at work and i have nobody that can go to my house and flip the generator on if lights go out how long can they go without the incubator being on all my animals are home alone and probablly freaking out

 

[Mahonri]

Clarification for EVERYONE!

IF you all didn't figure it out before... for the BRINSEA contest.
ON POST #1, where it says:

PLEASE FILL OUT THE participation form HERE. See the results HERE.

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]On line 5 of that first link it asks:[/FONT]

How many eggs will hatch on Easter?

That's the number that if you guess closest to, you will win the Brinsea Incubator.

I suppose it could say, "How many chicks/eggs will hatch on Easter Weekend? to be more clear.

So lets say a non-Mahonri-hatchalong BYC member wants to participate? All they do is fill out lines 1 & 5 right?i